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Western University researchers received nearly $16.3 million through the latest Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Project Grant competition. The funding will support 17 projects across four faculties, spanning biomedical, clinical and population health, as well as one hospital-based project focused on emergency general surgery. “Discovery, innovation and collaboration are key to generating knowledge that improves lives and strengthens health outcomes,” said Penny Pexman, Western’s vice-president (research). “With this support from the federal government, researchers in London will continue to lead efforts to address current and emerging health challenges in our community and across the country.”  

The brain after viral infection

Most people recover from West Nile virus, but for those who develop serious brain infections, the effects can last for years. Dr. Robyn Klein, professor and Canada Research Chair in Neurovirology and Neuroimmunology, is leading a new study to understand why some people experience persistent memory loss and cognitive impairment after West Nile virus encephalitis – and why those outcomes differ between males and females. Her team has shown that microglia, the brain’s resident immune cells, remain chronically activated long after the virus has been cleared, disrupting learning and memory. The newly funded project will investigate how biological sex influences these immune responses and whether they trigger the accumulation of misfolded proteins linked to neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s disease and Lewy body dementia. Using advanced mouse models, genomic analyses and experimental therapies, the researchers hope to identify biological pathways that could eventually be targeted to improve cognitive recovery after viral infections and reduce the risk of long-term neurological disease.  

Aging well in Canada

Can the places we live help us stay healthy as we age? Piotr Wilk, professor in epidemiology and biostatistics, is leading the first national study to evaluate Age-Friendly Communities – municipalities that have adopted the World Health Organization’s framework for creating accessible, inclusive and supportive environments for older adults. “Our goal is to provide the strongest evidence to date on how Age-Friendly Communities contribute to healthy aging,” said Wilk. Communities across Canada have invested significant time and resources in becoming more age-friendly. “The next step is understanding what is working, where improvements are needed, and how limited resources can be used most effectively,” Wilk said. By combining national health surveys, administrative health data, community-level information and direct community engagement, the research team will examine whether Age-Friendly Communities improve health and social outcomes, identify which approaches are most effective, and determine whether the benefits are shared equitably across populations and communities. “Nearly every family is impacted by questions about how parents, grandparents, friends or neighbours can continue living healthy, independent and meaningful lives as they grow older,” said Wilk. “Our project recognizes that healthy aging extends beyond medical care and is shaped by the places where people live.”  

CIHR Project Grants

Allana Saleema, Faculty of Health Sciences Exploring the Intersection of Aging, Ethnicity, Sex, and Gender, and its Influence on Heart Failure (HF) Care and Digital Health Utilization among South-Asian and Black Older Women Samuel Asfaha, Schulich Medicine & Dentistry Cell-intrinsic regulation of colorectal cancer stem cells by transposable element-driven viral mimicry Lindsay Bodell, Faculty of Social Science Using High-Resolution Ecological Momentary Assessment to Measure Subjective Reward Responses and Emotions during Binge Eating Elvis Chia-Shin Chen, Faculty of Engineering Enhancing Spinal Tumour Ablation and Reconstruction with Navigation Bryan Heit, Schulich Medicine & Dentistry A Cardiac Rebound: Targeting GATA2 to Reverse Atherosclerosis  Pingzhao Hu, Schulich Medicine & Dentistry AI-Assisted Multimodal Imaging for Joint Damage Assessment, Flare Prediction, and Personalized Management of Rheumatoid Arthritis Robyn Klein, Schulich Medicine & Dentistry Sex differences in neurocognitive recovery from West Nile virus neuroinvasive disease Van Lu, Schulich Medicine & Dentistry Novel mechanisms to release an endogenous reservoir of GLP-1 in the human colon Jacquelyn Marsh, Facutly of Health Sciences LEVEL UP: LEVeraging Enhanced Rehabilitation to ELevate Postoperative Outcomes After Total Knee Replacement John McCormick, Schulich Medicine & Dentistry Protective and pathogenic immune responses to Streptococcus pyogenes Patrick Moynihan, Schulich Medicine & Dentistry  Capsular secretion in pathogenic mycobacteria Andrew Pruszynski, Schulich Medicine & Dentistry Control policies in the primate motor system  Peter Stathopulos, Schulich Medicine & Dentistry  Allosteric landscape of mitochondrial calcium uniporter (MCU) regulation by MCU regulator-1 and redox signaling: identifying conformational triggers of cardiomyocyte injury Cheryle Séguin, Schulich Medicine & Dentistry  Ectopic calcification of spinal tissues: leveraging preclinical mouse models and patient samples to investigate therapeutic targets for diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH) Donald Welsh, Schulich Medicine & Dentistry  Cannabis-Derived Compounds and Control of the Cerebral Vasculature Shawn Whitehead, Schulich Medicine & Dentistry  Using circulating microglia extracellular vesicles to discriminate microglia activation phenotype, and cognitive outcomes in comorbid AD and stroke Piotr Wilk, Schulich Medicine & Dentistry Evaluating Age-Friendly Communities in Canada: Linking Implementation to Health, Social and Equity Outcomes 

CIHR Project Grants funded via London Health Sciences Centre Research Institute

Kelly Vogt Innovative Multicenter Patient-centered Approach to Clinical Trials in Surgery – Emergency General Surgery (IMPACTS-EGS) Contaminated Wound Control Trial